I don't think you're going to get a satisfying answer here. The real answer is that, yes, marriage is consideration and exchanging sex for marriage is prostitution, according to the definition provided. However, custom and tradition have carved out certain exceptions which society tolerates because society prefers it that way. Law - especially common law - isn't a formal mathematical proof where you can point at a line that's out of place and invalidate the whole thing. It's more like a high school English essay, with lots of notes scrawled in the margins. With coffee stains.http://law.stackexchange.com/questions/6816/whats-the-limitation-of-sexual-consi...

Basically if we uses straightforward definition and treat legal terms like math terms then yes demanding marriage before sex is prostitution.

However laws are not math.

Why? Because the true purpose of the law, something that can more consistently predict where the law would side, is often politically incorrect.

This is why laws against prostitution are absurd. Anything you do to induce someone to mate with you could be considered payment.

I discovered a long time ago that sex is only fun for me with people who want to have sex with me. If I have to "induce" them into it, it's not as good (for me) as masturbation.Barbarian humans (and animals) usually feel differently about it.

I don't think you're going to get a satisfying answer here. The real answer is that, yes, marriage is consideration and exchanging sex for marriage is prostitution, according to the definition provided. However, custom and tradition have carved out certain exceptions which society tolerates because society prefers it that way. Law - especially common law - isn't a formal mathematical proof where you can point at a line that's out of place and invalidate the whole thing. It's more like a high school English essay, with lots of notes scrawled in the margins. With coffee stains.http://law.stackexchange.com/questions/6816/whats-the-limitation-of-sexual-consi...

Basically if we uses straightforward definition and treat legal terms like math terms then yes demanding marriage before sex is prostitution.

However laws are not math.

Why? Because the true purpose of the law, something that can more consistently predict where the law would side, is often politically incorrect.

Is that Indonesian Law and an Indonesian lawyer? Somehow I imagined Indonesian Law was different. You use U.S. Common Law in Indonesia?

I discovered a long time ago that sex is only fun for me with people who want to have sex with me. If I have to "induce" them into it, it's not as good (for me) as masturbation.Barbarian humans (and animals) usually feel differently about it.

Do females just come up to you and ask you if you want to mate? Anything beyond this, even a completely natural amount of congeniality, could be considered paying the female. Females like it when you are nice to them. In a way, if they mate with you because of it, you paid them to mate.

This is just how courtship works. And yes, we are animals. One animal might display his good genes or showcase his ability to care for young by bringing the female food. He usually trades the service of helping to rear young for the right to mate. This has been the deal since there was a deal. Now we say there can't be any deal. There is some bloody reason to pick one male over any other, and the male capitalises on it. But we only call them prostitutes when they exchange actual goods. Not even services. It seems to me we're being obtuse, but maybe I'm just being cynical.

Do you also think friendship is some sort of commercial transaction, where one party pays for "friendship" and the other party sells "friendship"?

Both parties fulfill a need, and are better off with the transaction than without. Each one provides what can be said to be services to the other.

If there's a difference I think it rests on being voluntary in an entirely higher sense than a mere transaction. Not only does each party get something it wants, but it is also willing to give its part regardless of the other giving it anything. This is where unconditional comes from. It's a greater feeling of security than you can achieve elsewhere. If both parties desire that feeling, they will both give unconditional love.